TCTC Learning Commons: Classics: Home

Overview of Classical Studies

Classicism: Topic Page
A term that, when applied generally, means clearness, elegance, symmetry, and repose produced by attention to traditional forms. It is sometimes synonymous with excellence or artistic quality of high distinction. More precisely, the term refers to the admiration and imitation of Greek and Roman literature, art, and architecture.
Classical Poetics
Cl. p. can be defined in either of two ways: (1) as the aggregate of opinions and doctrines which were put forward concerning poetry during Cl. antiquity, i.e. roughly between 750 b.c. and a.d. 200; or (2) as that more or less coherent body of critical doctrine which is represented chiefly by the Poetics of Aristotle and the so-called Ars poetica of Horace.
Greek Literature
The epics of Homer date from the 8th century BC, though their echoes of Mycenaean civilization suggest that they may have existed in oral form for considerably longer. A little later (c. 700) Hesiod's poems portray the lives and concerns of farmers.
Greek art: Topic Page
Works of art produced in the Aegean basin, a center of artistic activity from very early times.

Daily Life Through History This link opens in a new window
Information on historical topics such as food, celebrations, religion, language, social customs and more from countries around the world.
Explores the daily lives of ordinary people through time and across the globe, providing details about family life, work, food, clothing, sports, language, literature, romance, education, gender roles, social customs, etc.
Academic OneFile: Gale This link opens in a new window
A broad subject database which includes peer-reviewed journals, magazines, reference sets and podcasts covering the areas of criminal justice, history, economics, marketing, and psychology. Also includes podcasts and transcripts from NPR and CNN as well as videos from BBC Worldwide Learning.
History Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Covering both U.S. and world history topics, this is a full-text database featuring historical reference books, magazines, journals and thousands of primary source documents. Offers full text from reference books, encyclopedias, and non-fiction books, and includes photos, maps, and videos.

Infobase Ancient History Encyclopedia Collection
Providing a comprehensive survey of the ancient and classical world.
Infobase Religion and Philosophy Sacred Text Collection
100 complete sacred texts from the world’s major religions. From the Bible and the Quran, to the Tibetan Book of the Dead and Daodejing, to Popol Vuh and the Táin bó Cuailnge, some of the most influential religious writings and collections of mythology.

World History: Gale OneFile This link opens in a new window
Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines useful to both novice historians as well as advanced academic researchers. The database offers balanced coverage of events in world history and scholarly work being established in the field.
World History: Gale in Context This link opens in a new window
Provides information on hundreds of the most significant people, events, and topics in world history. This database reaches back to the ancient world—and forward to today's headlines—to deliver a chronicle of the people, cultures, events, and societies that have formed the history of the human race. A range of topics such as Aztecs, Industrial Revolution, Silk Road, the Buddha, Space Race, and more provide a wide perspective across the globe.